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Can Soy Lower Cholesterol and Prevent Heart Disease? Soybeans or soya beans (also known as soy), contain soluble fiber that is known to regular blood sugar for diabetics and lower total cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Bad cholesterol is also known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. In the mid 90s, results of a study revealed that a diet with significant amount (47 grams) soy protein per day could reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It appears that soy protein could lower triglyceride levels while preserving high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or the so-called good cholesterol. In 1993, another study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that a 12 percent drop in cholesterol when 20 to 25 grams of soy protein and fiber were included in the diet. In October 1999, the United States Food And Drug Administration (FDA) allowed labels appearing on soy products to claim that diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol, along with 25 grams of soy protein daily, may reduce the risk of heart disease. It has been known that when a woman stops having her period, her estrogen levels will drop substantially, which in turn raises her total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol level while reducing her HDL cholesterol. As soybeans contain estrogen-like substances known as isoflavones, it has also been promoted to benefit women after menopause, including reducing cholesterol levels and strengthening bones. But, are all these claims true? Let us take a look of a recent study.
Published on March 3, 2010 in journal Menopause, researchers from Florida State University in Tallahassee reported that eating extra soybeans for one year does not help postmenopausal women cut their cholesterol levels. Realizing that recent studies investigating soy and cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women have either been short or only looked at individual soy components, the researchers conducted their study to investigate the long-term effects of soy protein in food, specifically 25 grams of soy protein and 60 milligrams of isoflavones every day for a year, in women after menopause. 87 postmenopausal, overweight women who were younger than 65 were enrolled and only 62 of them completed the study. The participants had moderately high total cholesterol levels and were randomly divided into 2 groups: one group called soy group that ate soy products and the other group (control group) ate comparable products that included a snack bar, drink mix and cereal, for a year. The total cholesterol level in the soy group was 231 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) while that in the control group was 236 mg/dL. The total cholesterol level is considered as optimal when it is less than 200 mg/dL. It was found that total and HDL cholesterol levels in women in the soy product group only had a small increase and there was no effect on their LDL cholesterol or triglyceride levels. The average total cholesterol levels in women of the control group had been increased to 254 mg/dL, comparing to about 243 mg/dL in women of the soy group. On the other hand, HDL levels in the control group increased from 58 mg/dL to 63 mg/dL, and that in the soy group rose from 57 mg/dL to 60 mg/dL. The researchers concluded that their results were in line with other studies showing no favorable alterations in the lipid profile with inclusion of 25 grams per day of soy protein in the diet. They, therefore, supported the FDA's 2007 intention to reevaluate its existing decision that allows soy product makers to claim heart benefits. So, does this mean that soy products should be avoided? No, not really! Though soy products might not reduce cholesterol to the extent previously expected, the United States Agency review showed that it could still cut LDL cholesterol by 3 percent. As high levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low levels of saturated fat can be found in soy products, AHA does consider soy products as a healthy replacement for meats and other foods high in saturated fat and total fat.
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